The Role of the Breadwinner

Adapted from Deborah Ellis' 2000 middle-grade novel, THE BREADWINNER follows 11-year-old Parvana, a girl who helps her father peddle goods in the Kabul market. When her father is arrested by Taliban soldiers, she must disguise herself as a boy to leave her house and make money for her family. She attempts to contact her father, who is in prison.Men suffer psychological distress when their wife becomes a breadwinner
One study has found that men who marry a higher-earning wife do not suffer from increased psychological distress. The study looked at 6,000 heterosexual couples for 15 years. The research looked at the men's distress levels based on the amount of time they spent feeling restless, sad, and anxious. It also looked at their feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness. It also noted that the men who are the breadwinners are relatively happy and do not suffer from the level of psychological distress that is experienced by men who do not become the breadwinner. However, neither extreme is ideal for male mental health.The social construct of the male breadwinner has been around for centuries. Many cultures, like Western European cultures, expect men to provide the majority of household income. Fulfilling this expectation is a central part of being masculine. Consequently, men who have to share the household income are at a higher risk of experiencing increased levels of psychological distress.Women work outside of the home to support a family
Many women have made the decision to work outside the home to support a family. This choice is driven by various factors. Most women prefer working because it provides financial independence and builds their self-esteem. They also want to spend more time with their children and their spouses. Fortunately, recent improvements in the workplace environment have made it easier for stay-at-home mothers to return to work.While there are many reasons women choose to work outside the home, many women do so because they cannot afford to stay home. Others do it to help pay the bills or to pay for child activities.Evolutionary research on the breadwinner family
There are two schools of thought about breadwinning families. The first argues that family units with a male breadwinner are the most stable. The other argues that the breadwinning role should be shared by both parents. Regardless of which school you believe in, family dynamics are a key factor in successful social development.There is a complex history of family life, and there is no one single explanation for it. Nevertheless, it is generally agreed that male breadwinner nuclear families are not the norm and are far from 'traditional'. In Western societies, a high percentage of grandparents care for their grandchildren, providing financial resources and emotional support. This support has also been shown to boost women's participation in the labour force.In contrast, the male breadwinner nuclear family model is a relatively recent phenomenon in human history. Its rise coincided with the industrialization of Western society. The rise of male breadwinning is associated with a number of factors, including the rise of women in work. Women are typically more involved in childrearing, and men devote less time to it.Changing roles of women as breadwinners
Gender-based gender norms have defined roles and responsibilities for both men and women in many households for generations. These roles are symbolic representations of differences between the sexes in a household. In recent years, women have become breadwinners, but the role of the breadwinner is not always defined by a woman's economic contribution. While men often continue to fulfill the role of provider regardless of their income, female breadwinners have become increasingly common in working-class households.The changing roles of women as breadwinners has been the focus of many qualitative studies. These studies have found that unequal divisions of domestic labor lead to varying degrees of conflict among spouses. For example, Jurczyk et al. (2019) found that domestic work displays gender bias. Similarly, Lyonette and Crompton (2015) found that UK women who out-earned their husbands actively challenged their partner's insufficient contribution to household chores. On the other hand, Legerski and Cornwall (2010) found that wives often failed to push for more equitable labor divisions.